'Imagine some of the trash going into the soup': Diners at Sengkang hawker centre disgusted by garbage collection as people eat nearby

How would you react?

A diner in a hawker centre was disgusted to see a worker pushing a waste bin to collect garbage from the food stalls as people were eating nearby.

Sharing photos of the incident, Stomp contributor Min said it happened at the Kopitiam Square in Sengkang on March 10 at 10.30pm.

"I find it really disgusting that he was pushing this big garbage bin from stall to stall and people were eating there," recounted the Stomp contributor.

"The guy just took the garbage bag, threw it into the bin and went to the next vendor.

"The inside of the bin was so disgusting. People were eating and even the vendor looked so uncomfortable.

"And there was even a stall that had soup prepared beside the cashier right in front of the bin where he was throwing all the dirty rubbish bags. Imagine some of the trash going into the soup.

"Everyone who was eating and the people in the stall were looking at the guy and shaking their head."

In response to a Stomp query, a spokesman for FairPrice, which operates Kopitiam, said: "We thank the customer for bringing to our attention the recent incident of trash collection at Kopitiam Square at Sengkang by our contracted cleaning vendor.

[[nid:623827]]

"We recognise the concerns raised with regards to the cleaner pushing the trash bin through the dining area where customers were having their meals. This should not be the case and we are sorry for the disturbance caused.

"We have since addressed the matter with our contracted cleaning vendor and emphasised the importance of adhering to the correct protocol for trash collection.

"We have also reminded the contract staff involved to follow the protocol of pushing the trash bin along the walkway outside the dining area when picking up trash from each stall.

"Customers with suggestions and feedback are welcome to contact us directly at our Customer Service Hotline at 6380 5858 or at fairprice.com.sg/help/feedback-general, so that we continue to enhance our services and provide a more enjoyable dining experience for all."

This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.